Is Northern and Western Maine the most remote part of the US, east of the Mississippi? (Bangor: college, live)

[paulmachal]

ok

[JoulesMSU]

Northwest Maine is a good contender, but I think the Upper Peninsula has it beat.

Even though there isn't much around NW Maine, depending on which part - there is a big city: Portland or Montreal (if you mean NW by the NH border), or Quebec City (if you mean NW up by Baxter) "only" about 3 hours away or so.

However, if you are in the middle of the UP, the closest "big cities" (Detroit or Milwaukee) are each about 5 hours away. And if you go the other direction, into Canada, there is virtually nothing - closest big city would be Toronto, which is a good 7-8 hours away.


Also, unless you count Thunder Bay as a "big city", the very northeast tip of Minnesota is pretty remote too (4 hours from Minneapolis, 8 hours from Winnipeg). And is just barely east of the river.

[Submariner]

I think the geographic N/S center Latitude of Maine falls around Howland.

Northern Maine is a long trip from any part of the NH border, since that border is entirely within the Southern half of Maine.

I live in the Southern half of Maine, according to the geography.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by JoulesMSU

Northwest Maine is a good contender, but I think the Upper Peninsula has it beat.

Even though there isn't much around NW Maine, depending on which part - there is a big city: Portland or Montreal (if you mean NW by the NH border), or Quebec City (if you mean NW up by Baxter) "only" about 3 hours away or so.

However, if you are in the middle of the UP, the closest "big cities" (Detroit or Milwaukee) are each about 5 hours away. And if you go the other direction, into Canada, there is virtually nothing - closest big city would be Toronto, which is a good 7-8 hours away.


Also, unless you count Thunder Bay as a "big city", the very northeast tip of Minnesota is pretty remote too (4 hours from Minneapolis, 8 hours from Winnipeg). And is just barely east of the river.

The UP isn't even close to being as remote as NW Maine. I have lived in the UP and I have lived in Northern Maine and worked out in the North Maine Woods. MI has NOTHING like it, anywhere. The UP has many, many small towns and small cities scattered throughout it, even the Seney Stretch isn't close to the North Maine Woods. Up in the woods there isn't any towns, villages, anything of population. The only places that comes to mind is a few Ranger houses by Churchill Dam, and the lumber camp at Clayton Lake and those are not towns or villages. Being remote doesn't just mean distance to a big city, remote is being a good distance to anything at all.

[FireFromIce]

I too am fascinated by wilderness. I've always been drawn to the wild places. As I look at the Delorme Atlas of Maine, I see those maps of the northwest areas of the the state. I see a network of backroads and trails but no towns or villages. Are there people living in these remote areas? Where do they work? Shop? Get medical care? Is there any electric grid up there? Cell phone towers? Anything? Makes me curious. I'd like to go exploring up there someday.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by FireFromIce

I too am fascinated by wilderness. I've always been drawn to the wild places. As I look at the Delorme Atlas of Maine, I see those maps of the northwest areas of the the state. I see a network of backroads and trails but no towns or villages. Are there people living in these remote areas?

Every square-foot of Maine is in a township.

Someone lives there.

... Where do they work?

There are lifestyles that do not require as much cash as urban lifestyles.

... Shop?

They make trips.

My Dw works in a grocery store where most of the customers are retired military. A great many of them only shop once/month, or every 6 weeks. They travel long distances to get to the big city of Bangor.

... Get medical care?

Just like so many Canadians, they drive down into EMMC.

... Is there any electric grid up there?

No.

Does it do any good? Power goes out in my township fairly often. So far this month we have lost power 4 times. The only reliable electric in much of Maine is off-grid.

... Cell phone towers?

No.

... Anything?

There is a lot out there. Thankfully

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by FireFromIce

I too am fascinated by wilderness. I've always been drawn to the wild places. As I look at the Delorme Atlas of Maine, I see those maps of the northwest areas of the the state. I see a network of backroads and trails but no towns or villages. Are there people living in these remote areas? Where do they work? Shop? Get medical care? Is there any electric grid up there? Cell phone towers? Anything? Makes me curious. I'd like to go exploring up there someday.

It's semi-wilderness (there are logging operations, so you can't really call it wilderness). The entire northwest quarter of Maine is unlike any other place east of the Mississippi. It's the Big Woods, and it is far more remote than the UP of Michigan. Baxter State Park and the New Hampshire border are both barely on the edge of the Big Woods. There are places in there where you'll need five hours just to get OUT of the Big Woods (driving).

[bwap_bonk]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

It's semi-wilderness (there are logging operations, so you can't really call it wilderness). The entire northwest quarter of Maine is unlike any other place east of the Mississippi. It's the Big Woods, and it is far more remote than the UP of Michigan. Baxter State Park and the New Hampshire border are both barely on the edge of the Big Woods. There are places in there where you'll need five hours just to get OUT of the Big Woods (driving).

I think working wilderness is a good term for it.

[7th generation]

The way mechanical harvesting is going "working wilderness" is disappearing fast.

#12 machine is shutting down at our mill and the layoffs-"last in, first out"-will stretch back to men being hired starting in 1998.

The demise of land stewardship started when the paper companies sold their holdings to Paul Bernard and his cronies out of Canada. Not saying I don't believe in free enterprise, but the care and use of the Maine woods will never be the same.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by 7th generation

The way mechanical harvesting is going "working wilderness" is disappearing fast.

#12 machine is shutting down at our mill and the layoffs-"last in, first out"-will stretch back to men being hired starting in 1998.

The demise of land stewardship started when the paper companies sold their holdings to Paul Bernard and his cronies out of Canada. Not saying I don't believe in free enterprise, but the care and use of the Maine woods will never be the same.

Is this related to the continued job losses in mill towns that still had some remaining jobs. Did they close the paper mill in Rumford or is it still operating? Could you elaborate a bit more on the transfer of land ownership in the very rural areas of Maine? I know New Hampshire does not face many of these issues due to the fact that it is a much smaller state in land area and many of its unpopulated areas are comprised of national forest lands, state forest lands, and conservation lands.